Parasol



Dec. n, 1945 B. B." LEVINE 2,390,952

PARASOL Filed ma 15, 1945 IN VEN TOR. BENJAMIN B. LEV/NE W WW ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARASOL Benjamin B. Levine, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application May 15, 1943, Serial No. 487,124

1 Claim.

My invention relates to parasols and particularly to a parasol of the type that may be mounted on and secured directly to the person of a wearer, or that may be mounted on and secured to the head-gear of a wearer.

One object of my invention is to provide a parasol of relatively light weight, that may be easily fitted on, and secured to, and easily removed from, the head of a person who desires .to be shaded from the sun, while leaving his hands free.

Another object of my invention is to provide a parasol of the foregoing type that may be adapted for mounting on a wearers headgear, particularly a helmet, with an arrangement for easily securing the parasol over the helmet and easily removing it, while providing at the same time a relatively stable support for the parasol.

My invention is intended to provide protection from the sun, by a shade or parasol of relatively large area, for persons that must be out in the open and under the sun a great deal, but who must yet have their both hands free to do their work, as in case of a mailman, for example, or a person working in a garden.

The construction of such a parasol, in accordance with the principles of my invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing how the parasol is mounted directly on the head of a wearer;

Figure 2 is a view of the parasol of Figure 1, when folded, with part of the canopy material removed to illustrate the manner in which the head-band and vizor may be folded back and under the canopy when the parasol is to be closed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the center operating ring that carries one end of the operating arms for the parasol spider frame, and that also carries one end of each of the supporting brackets whose other ends are pivotally secured to the supporting head-band.

As shown in Figure 1, one form of a sun shade or parasol 10, as constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention, comprises the usual spider frame II and a covering fabric or materia1 12, with side elevating arms l3 to raise the ribs of the frame I I into extended horizontal position to open the parasol.

According to usual practice, the ribs II and particularly the outer ends of the ribs, are secured to the fabric 12 to stretch the fabric taut when the parasol is open. The inner ends of the ribs II are pivotally secured to the tip l4 secured to the upper end of the center post l5.

The outer ends of the elevating side arms 13 are pivotally secured to the associated ribs II, at points intermediate the ends of the ribs. The inner ends of the elevating arms [3 are pivotally supported on, and secured to, a cylindrical operating or guide spool 16, that is of suitable dimensions to fit over the center post l5 to slide freely thereon.

The operating sleeve I6 is provided with a lower flange i! that pivotally supports the inner ends of the elevating side arms 13.

The flange ll of the operating sleeve or spool l6 serves also as an anchor for the inner ends of several supporting bracket arms [8, whose outer ends are pivotally secured to anchored plates or buttons l9 extending from metal plates 19' that are fastened in fixed position on a head-band 20. The pivotal connection of arms l8 to the plates I9 allows the arms to adjust themselves when the head-band is applied, and allows folding of the arms l8 into the parasol without undue strain on the head-band when the parasol is collapsed. The head-band 20 is preferably made of a resilient tape fabric, and is preferably provided with suitable means, such as a buckl or loop clip, for adjusting the effective length of the head-band to fit snugly and comfortably on the head of the wearer who is to use it. I

The head-band 20 may also be provided with a vizor 2|, to protect the eyes of the wearer from the sun. In order to provide a more stable arrangement for the head-band, without excessive tightness of the band itself on the forehead, a chin strap 22 may be employed. The chin strap also may be provided with a suitable adjusting arrangement, like a buckle, to vary the length of the chin strap to accommodate the wearer who is to use it.

The chin strap prevents the parasol from falling off the head, or from being blown off by a sudden breeze. The two ends of the chin strap may be permanently secured to the head-band 20, or one end, or both ends, of the chin strap may be provided with a removable snap hook, as in the case of the head-band 20, to permit easy loosening and removal of the chin strap from the head-band 20.

By means of the separable snap hook 23 as shown in Figure 1, and more clearly in Figure 3, the head-band 20 may be opened to permit the pivoted supporting bracket arms l8 to be folded back into the space within the parasol when it is closed, to permit more convenient carrying of the parasol when thus closed and folded, and to keep the head-band clean and covered when it is not in use.

Since the center post l5 must not touch the head of the wearer when the parasol is being worn, the center post [5 will be of sufiicient length to extend through the operating spool I8 only when the parasol is open to its full position. The center post I5 will then be held in its downward position in the operating spool I6 by the spring pressed latch 25 on the post I5.

When-the parasol is closed, however, the center post l5 will be too short to remain in the operating spool I6. In order, however, to have access to the inner and of the guide post l5 for the purpose of pulling it down through the operating spool I6, I provide a soft flexible element, such as a spring or cord 26, one end of which is secured to a ferrule 21 on the ,inner end of the center post 15, and the other end of the spring or cord 26 having secured hereto a large button, or washer 28, whose diameter is larger than the central opening through the operating spool Hi, to prevent the cord 26 from passing through the spool when the parasol is folded and closed.

When the parasol is not in use, and is closed, the folds of the fabric may be tightly pressed to= gether by a suitable tape 29 with a'snap 30,- according to present practice on umbrellas. As an additional convenience, "a loop cored 3| may be provided, secured to the center elevating ring or spool 16, to serve as a handle to carry the parasol when it is thus closed.

My invention is not limited to the specific arrangements that are illustrated,.nor to the specific details that are shown, since these are intended to be merely illustrative, and it is to be understood that modifications might be made in the structural details of the parasol without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the appended claim.

The head band can, of course, also be placed directly over the crown of a hat worn by the user, as well as directly on the head of the user.

I claim as my invention:

A parasol. comprising a center post; a plurality of ribs pivoted at their ends adjacent the top of the center post and extending radially therefrom; a fabric covering over the ribs; an elevating rin slidably movable on the center post, means for retaining said ring at a predetermined fixed position on the center post; elevator arms pivoted on the center ring and pitotally secured to the ribs at points intermediate the ends of the ribs; :a pliable tape to serve as a head-hand adapted to be worn on the head of the wearer; and a plurality of arms pivotally anchored at one end on the head-band, and pivotally anchored at the other end on the elevat- 80 mg ring.

BENJAMIN B. LEVINE.- 

